Agenda item

That changes, as set out below, are implemented as soon as is operationally possible:

1.       Officers continue to work with SITA Surrey to pursue operational efficiencies and cost reduction measures.

2.       Officers continue to work with SITA to enforce the Council’s existing trade waste and resident scheme policies.

3.       Weekday opening hours at the Community Recycling Centres be reduced at the least busy times in order to ensure the sites run as efficiently as possible.

4.       Opening days be reduced in order to fit with demand for the service, but to ensure that a number of sites are always made available to residents on a daily basis.

5.       Charging to cover costs for non-household items, comprising large gas bottles and car tyres, should be implemented across the service.

6.       Charging to cover costs for asbestos should not be implemented.

7.       That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning to devise how to implement a charging scheme which allows residents to deposit small amounts of inert building material and plasterboard free of charge.

8.       Reuse shops will be opened at suitable sites across the network to reduce waste sent for disposal and generate additional income.

9.       That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning to lead a new initiative to co-ordinate and enhance the fly-tipping investigation, prevention and enforcement activities of district and borough councils, the Police and the Environment Agency.

Reasons for Decisions:

All council services are required to consider options for cost reduction. Any savings must be recommended with due regard to the customer and stakeholder views expressed through consultation. As Annex 2 of the submitted report shows, there are times and days when it is not value for money to operate the sites.

[The decision on this item may be called in by the Economic Prosperity, Environment and Highways Scrutiny Board]

Prior to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning introducing the report, the Chairman of the Economic Prosperity, Environment and Highways Scrutiny Board was invited to speak.

He informed Members that his Scrutiny Board had considered the proposals for shaping Surrey’s Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) and that his overall position was to support the proposals, in principle. However, he made two suggestions for consideration: they should have an environmental benefit and also that any recycling should be viable.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning began his introduction by recognising the high regard that residents had for the community recycling centres and said that this Council had recognised this by investing over £9m in upgrading them in recent years.

However, he said that, with the financial pressures the Council faced, particularly in adult social care and education, CRCs could not remain immune from cost saving scrutiny.

He explained the consultation process undertaken and said that over 4500 members of the public and other organisations had responded and that the proposals set out in the report took the feedback into account. Also, that officers were engaging with the contractor SUEZ to identify further opportunities for efficiencies and cost savings.

He highlighted the key proposals from the report and commended them to Cabinet.

Finally, he said that he recognised the concerns that of some of those responding to the consultation had, with regard to the potential for an increase in fly tipping and said that the Council was working with the relevant partners to develop a Surrey fly tipping strategy. He also informed Cabinet that he was meeting Rory Stewart, the Government Minister regarding Surrey’s approach to waste and would be seeking Government support.

Other Members of the Cabinet considered that this was a good report and made the following points:

·         Making use of Social Media, including Twitter and Facebook

·         An assurance that residents would be made aware of any changes to the opening times at their recycling centres

·         The importance of balancing this provision alongside other County Council services, whilst still providing Value for Money. 

RESOLVED:

That changes, as set out below, are implemented as soon as is operationally possible:

1.       Officers continue to work with SITA Surrey to pursue operational efficiencies and cost reduction measures.

2.       Officers continue to work with SITA to enforce the Council’s existing trade waste and resident scheme policies.

3.       Weekday opening hours at the Community Recycling Centres be reduced at the least busy times in order to ensure the sites run as efficiently as possible.

4.       Opening days be reduced in order to fit with demand for the service, but to ensure that a number of sites are always made available to residents on a daily basis.

5.       Charging to cover costs for non-household items, comprising large gas bottles and car tyres, should be implemented across the service.

6.       Charging to cover costs for asbestos should not be implemented.

7.       That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning to devise how to implement a charging scheme which allows residents to deposit small amounts of inert building material and plasterboard free of charge.

8.       Reuse shops will be opened at suitable sites across the network to reduce waste sent for disposal and generate additional income.

9.       That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning to lead a new initiative to co-ordinate and enhance the fly-tipping investigation, prevention and enforcement activities of district and borough councils, the Police and the Environment Agency.

Reasons for Decisions:

All council services are required to consider options for cost reduction. Any savings must be recommended with due regard to the customer and stakeholder views expressed through consultation. As Annex 2 of the submitted report shows, there are times and days when it is not value for money to operate the sites.